Plant-protector.



'1.1. STEVENSGN.

PLANT PROTECTOR. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5, 1918.

Patented Apr. 8,1919.

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JOHN J'. STEVENSON, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO 1VI.

LALRSEN, 0F MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN.

PLANT-PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. v

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. S'rnvnNsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Muskegon, county' of Muskegon, State of Michigan, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Plant-Protectors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to plant protectors.

The object of the invention is to provide a device for protecting plants against the ravages of cut worms and other insects.

A furtherobject of the invent-ion is to provide a protecting device for plants which is simple in structure, economical to manufacture, easily appliedto or removed from the plants, and which is eicient in operation.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, rangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown inthe accompanying drawing, and finally pointe out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing :-V f vFigure-1 is an end view of a plant protector constructed in accordance with the principlesof my invention. l

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation, partly in vertical section, showing the application .of a plant protector embodying my invention to a plant.

Fig. 3 is a view in Fig. 2, looking in. arrows.

Fig. 4 is a view illustrating a sheet of material suitably slit or cut preparatory to forming a protector in accordance with my invention.

The same part is designated by the same reference numeral wherever it occurs through the several views.

In many sections of the country cut worms and other insects are very destructive to young and tender plants, such for example as tomato, cabbage, and other vegetable plants, the worms coming out of the ground and gnawing the plants olf just a little above the surface of the ground. Various methods are resorted to to prevent damage from this source to plants. One commonly employed method is to use Paris-green, or other poisonous solution or powder. Another and perhaps a more common method combination, location, and ar-v vflexible as to permit section onthe line 3, 3, the direction tof the is to'wrap pieces or strips of paper, cloth or fother material about the stalks of the plants to Abe protected. Still other expedients are also employed to more or less extent but none of these methods have heretofore proven altogether satisfactory or successful. The worms or other insects will not always take the poison and they frequently succeed in crawling under or over, or penetrating through the wrappings applied to the stems or stalks of the plants. Various forms of shields have been proposed to inclose the stalks or stems of the plants, but so far as I am aware no form of shield has proved effective or satisfactory, bein-g either too expensive or diflicult to apply, or not efficient in arresting or preventing the ravages of the worms or other insects. Y

' It is among the special purposes of my present invention .to provide a protecting device or shield for the stems or stalks 0f young and tender plants, which is econo-micalf to manufacture, accomplishment of its protecting functions, andwhich vmay lbe easily and readily applied to and removed from the stem or stalk of the plant and used over and over again.

In carrying out my invention I propose to `employ sheetA metal, such-for example as tin, although other metals may be/employed,

but which should be suiiciently thin and the sheet to be. easily rolled into cylindrical form for application around the stem or stalk of the plant, so as to form a protecting shield therefor, and the edges of the cylindrical or tubular protector pressed together to form a substantially closed cylinder, by merely exerting sufficient pressure of the ngers thereto. The material to be employed should possess sufficient stiffness to enable the short section of the tubular protector to be forced down endwise into the soil after being applied around the stem or stalk of the plant. Such a protector shields and protects the stem ork stalk of a plant from attack of cut worms or other insects, when the crack at the edges of the tubular protector is sufficiently closed as above explained to prevent the insects from entering therethrough, and the protector is designed to be inserted a sufficient depth into thesoil to prevent the worms or insects from crawling under and into the interior of the protector. At its upper or top end the tubular protector is constructed which is efficient in the Y tongues '7 are to prevent the worms or insects crawling thereoyer.

Referring to the accompanying reference numeral 5 designates a sheet of suitable material, such for example 1assnlieet tin, from which the protector is to be made. Ordinarily sheet istat out ntogenerally rectangular blanks and a series of slits 6 are formed or out into one end of thelolank form` ing flexible tongues 7 therein. These slits tongues are formed in that end-.of the blank which constitutes thewoutery or upper end of they protector `when completed vand applied around the stein or stalk of ka plant. "The then bent or curved loutw ardy and" downwardly as most clearly shown in F ig. 42, the spaces 8 between them bei-ng insufficient to permit the passage therethrough of the worms or insects `attenrpting to crawl up the outer surface ,of the protector when once applied to the stein or stalk of the plant, and they outwardly and downwardly curved tongues forming t'something lin the nature of a mushroom head constituting an impassible barrier vto prevent the lwormsor insects from crawling overl the upper endvof the protector when once applied for use; lhe blank 5 `with the tongues 7 bend outwardly and downwardly therefrom, as above explained,

Ais then bent by hand A,or otherwise intofcylindrical shape`while vbeing applied' or after application to and around the ,stem or stalk 9'of the plant to be protected until the ledges 10 thereof' are brought sufficiently l close `to kgether or into such proximity to each other as to prevent the worms or insects from crawling therethrough, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3. A tubular-protecting device is thusgformed and applied around the stern or stalk ofthe plant'to be protected, the 7body portion l1 being cylindrical, and open at each end, one end, namely, the upper end,

having the mushroom head formation, as @hote explained. The ,bending .0f Rolling `of the sheet into tubular form can be readily, quickly, and easily accomplished by hand, 4and when accomplished the device is pushed or shoved down into the soil as clearly indicated in Fg- 2 t0 the .desired depth. The protecting shield constructed and app'liedas abowedescribed may be easily and readily removed fromy around the stem or stalk ofthe plant when lthe latter is suflieient'ly large or old enough, or after 4the expiration of the season during which vthe -woiuns or insects accomplish their destructive work. The 4removed protectors or shields may then lbe preserved for repeated use over again with other plants or other crops.

nofw set forth the objects and :nature of my invention, and a structure embodyingthe principles thereof, what l yclaim as new andiisefulv'and of .1n-y own invention, and desire to secure by Letters/Patentof the United States, is ci* A of plants consisting of a ,one piece sheet of HeXible material provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending sli-tsat lone end thereof, extending..y parallel to each ,othery 2L short distancev of the length .of said sheet of material to :thereby form tongues at, the .end ofvr said sheet of material, said sheet `being bent into tubular form to surround the stem or stalk to be protected, and saidl tongues bent radially outwardly and downwardly from the cylindrical body portion of :the tube so formed, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on th-is-3rdY day lof August, A. D.

' JOHN J. STEVENSON.

Copies of this patent may bei obtainedforve cents nach, by addressingthe --f,Cpn1missioner of' Baten, Washington D. 9:?!

protecting shield .forfthe stems orstaiks l 

